Kyle Wall is a veteran of the music scene, having played in bands such as ‘The Minor White’ and spending time with Brooklyn’s DIY collective ‘Death by Audio’. His latest creation ‘Wharfer‘ is an altogether more lo-fi experience and the album ‘The Rattling’ is something distant and ephemeral, a dream state or a ghostly presence in the room.

The album moves from waltzes to ballads, but it is generally slow and fragile in nature. It’s an album you will strain to listen to, as you try to pin down the lyrics. The vocals are mumbled or whispered, and Wall’s deep and resonant sound is almost like another instrument. The percussion sound is unusual, with many of the songs having sounds that are like someone banging on the body of a guitar, and for the most part this is very effective. The guitar style is impressive, with delicately plucked lines flowing through all the tracks.  The instrumentation varies from guitar, mandolin, organs to piano that sounds like it is being played in the background of a saloon in a Sam Peckinpah movie.

It’s an album worthy of your attention and has the potential to be one of the sleeper hits of the year. Go check it out below.

5 of the tracks are available now on Band Camp (or below) at name your price. It should do enough to whet your appetite for the full album, which is released on released 27 August 2013.
All songs written and performed by Kyle Wall
Mastered by Josh Bonati (The Tallest Man on Earth, Wild Nothing, The Men).